Meritorious Artist Linh Hien's real name is Trinh Cong Danh, born in 1965, used to work at the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Art Theater. He is one of the artists who has spent many years pursuing and preserving traditional art in the context that Hat Boi stage is increasingly difficult to attract audiences.
Sharing with reporters about his life after leaving the professional stage, Meritorious Artist Linh Hien said that he has not received a monthly pension for 2 years now for many reasons.
In 2024, due to serious health problems, the male artist applied for early retirement. After that, he completed procedures to receive one-time social insurance after about 30 years of participation.
I don't have a pension because I have paid social insurance for 30 years but received it once because I had acute leukemia. At that time, I thought it would be difficult for me to overcome," Meritorious Artist Linh Hien confided.
According to the male artist, at the time of discovering the disease, he had to be treated at a hematology specialist facility. The health developments made him worried, not knowing if he still had enough time and conditions to wait for retirement benefits or not. Therefore, he decided to withdraw his one-time social insurance to have money to cover his treatment.
The male artist said that before leaving work, he had a health certificate and retired about two years early.
Although regretful, Meritorious Artist Linh Hien said that this was a necessary decision in a critical health condition. At that time, his biggest priority was to have funds for treatment and maintaining life. The male artist accepted to trade long-term benefits to solve immediate difficulties.
Looking back at the past journey, Meritorious Artist Linh Hien looks at 30 years of working at the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Art Theater, for him, the most valuable asset is the roles, professional experience and the class of students trained and guided since 2005.
Hat boi used to be an art form that attracted a large number of audiences of many ages, especially in previous decades. However, the emergence of many modern entertainment methods has changed public tastes. Traditional theaters are gradually shrinking, and the lives of Hat boi artists are therefore also facing many difficulties.
In that situation, Meritorious Artist Linh Hien still dedicates his enthusiasm to teaching the profession to the younger generation. He expects his students to continue to preserve the performance techniques, makeup, choreography and characteristic spirit of Hat Boi.
For the male artist, young people who are still attached to the stage are the "asset" he left behind after three decades of dedication.
